Ghost “Iron Bitch” (São Paulo) Battleship:

The frigate Wren had been through a horrible storm which had blown it
way off course. The magical energy cascading off the storm proved that
in no way was it a normal storm. Hail and sleet had cascaded down onto
the frigate and the small vessel had been struck by lightning over a dozen
times. It had appeared suddenly with just a few minutes before the skies
had only a few wisps of clouds and the sea had been calm. Now, the storm
was already breaking up and a few stray holes in the clouds could be seen.

Still, the little ship was tough. It had survived the storms from when
the Rifts came and ripped apart the world and it had survived this. The
new captain was a techno-wizard and had added a number of features since
taking command. She had also spent a lot of credits getting the vessel
fully restored but it was now more capable than it had been when it had
served in the navy of the nation which had built her.

Standing on the bridge wing, the captain brought a set of binoculars
up to her eyes. The optics of her binoculars were designed to cut through
any invisibly enchantments. There was something in the distance. The energies
of the storm, even as it dissipated, were playing merry hell with her radar
system. It showed little more than snow. It would not be a good time to
come under attack.

She saw something in the distance under the most fearsome looking part
of the storm. Just above the horizon, it was hard to make out. It appeared
to be grey with the clouds behind it also a grey. Still, there was something
which made it stand out from the storm. For several long moments, she warred
with herself. She could turn he small ship around and get away from it
as fast as possible but she was curious.

Eventually curiosity won out and she ordered her ship to close with
the target. Still, she was cautious and she ordered a slow closing course.
As the Wren got closer, the storm continued to fade until there was almost
nothing left of it. The vessel off the distance was bit, much larger than
the Wren and the guns on it were enormous. Compared to them, the Wren's
five inch mount was little more than a pop gun. From the basic design,
it did not look Splugorth or like anything from Atlantis. It looked old,
like something from the legendary wars of the Twentieth Century. While
many Techno-Wizards were, the Captain was not much of a historian though.
The ship was not moving and seemed to be rocking alarmingly. Perhaps it
was in some sort of trouble.

As the frigate came closer, she could start to make out more details.
The ship seemed to be in decent enough shape in general. There were a few
figures aboard the ship in the distance. When the frigate finally got within
a few thousand yards, some of the people on the large ship began waving
at her frigate. It seemed safe enough so she began pulling her much smaller
vessel alongside.

It took quite a while before she could get across to the other vessel.
She and about a dozen of her crew boarded the huge ship. The remaining
crew was also extremely confused and had gotten even more bewildered when
they saw that the captain that they were speaking with was a woman. There
had been eight of them but two had washed overboard during the storm. They
appeared to just be some kind of caretaker crew. The captain had noticed
that there was a parted cable on the bow of the large ship. She suspected
that it would be quite a while before she could make sense of what they
were talking about. She sighed with exasperation.

The battleship São Paulo was launched in 1909 for the Brazilian
Navy in Great Britain. At the time of her completion, she, along with her
sister, were the most powerful warship in the world armed with six twin
turrets each with twelve inch guns. Even from the beginning, the Brazilian
Navy did not maintain her in the best condition. There also was several
mutinies onboard over the years. By the Thirties, she could only steam
at ten knots and was in horrible condition. She was classified a "Reserve
Coastal Gunnery Ship" and later a training ship. She was sold to the breakers
in 1951 and was put under tow for England. She was lost in a storm north
of the Azores.....Or so it was thought.

The ship instead was caught in a magical storm. This storm brought the
vessel to the world of the Rifts, hundreds of years after when the ship
was thought sunk. Something revitalized the ancient vessel at the same
time and restored it to what it had been like in its youth. The magic had
some unintended side effects though. There is something restless aboard
the vessel. Perhaps it is the spirits of those who died aboard the ship
and perhaps it is something else. It is hard to truly know for sure.

The crew that found the ship brought it to a safe place to see what
they could do. With the magic having restored the ship, it did not take
too much work to rebuild the old ship. As well, the magic had greatly strengthened
her so that she could withstand damage which even in her prime she could
never have survived. As such, a refit was surprisingly easy to survive
in the Rift's world. Unlike some "Ghost Ships" she also seemed willing
to accept modern components to make her "battle worthy." She seems to be
able to repair herself although that ability does not extend to her "new"
components.

The biggest problem actually was with her main battery. On the world
of the Rifts, shells for her twelve inch guns had not been made for centuries.
As such, new shells had to be developed. A wide variety were created including
hight explosive, armor piercing, and even plasma shells. As well, a number
of magical projectiles have also been created. The turrets themselves were
not reworked except to reduce gun crews but during their service in the
Brazilian Navy were increased from thirteen degrees to twenty degrees.
Coupled with the better projectiles, range is increased to around twenty-five
thousand yards. In the future, rocket propelled rounds may be developed
for the guns for greater range.

Due to the main guns taking up most of the main deck, there is little
room for a secondary battery. Instead, most of the weapons were mounted
on the superstructure. Four twin flack cannon mounts are mounted in the
forward and after parts of the lower superstructure with two mounts on
either side. As well, the ship mounts more lighter weapons higher up with
four telekinetic machine guns in the forward superstructure and four more
in the after superstructure. So the ship has some missile defense, a short
range box launcher is mounted on the main deck forward and aft of the main
gun mounts. Each one has forty-eight short range missiles and the ship
carries additionally almost two hundred more missiles for reloads. Considered
of limited use, the original secondary casemate mounts have been removed
and plated up.

She has a longer range radar system fitted so that she can actually
track aircraft and missiles. This is a copy of the old pre-rifts SPS-49
radar system. Otherwise, she has fairly primitive electronics although
heads above anything she ever had in Brazilian naval service. She does
not mount a sonar system or any form of electronic jamming system although
she is fitted with a radar detection system. She, like most techno-wizard
craft, is fitted with optics designed to see targets which are invisible.

The old battleship’s engines are almost original. They have simply been
converted over to techno-wizard steam power. Compared to their original
coal fired design, this is far cleaner. No matter how patient, it likely
that the crew would have had trouble if she had not been converted. Range
is seven hundred and fifty nautical miles per full charge. Even though
she has eighteen boilers, they are small. Three boilers are charged per
casting. An eventual plan may be to change her to being powered by a magical
rift to the elemental planes of fire and water to give her virtual unlimited
range. Even so, her top speed is twenty-one and a half knots, as good as
she was ever able to do in her youth.

The captain preferred the idea of a protective force field over the
shockwave defense system which some vessels fit. This “Armor of Ithan”
force field can be activated up to three times per day. In addition, the
ship is defended by a “Fireworks” chaff and flare system. The ship also
has the ability to produce a magical "Smoke Screen" to hide it from view.
A number of other enchantments include the ability to become invisible,
to become impervious to energy weapons, and to allow the crew to breath
in toxic environments. The ship is a barrety of magical energy on its own
which helps to power the various enchantments.

The ship is actually pretty popular with her crew and there has not
been as much trouble filling as was originally thought. The vessel for
some reason seems inviting and this is in spite of the vessel seeming to
be haunted. Even so, the people who were once part of the caretaker crew
seem to have drifted away and disappeared. The only "original" crew remaining
is a cat who has not seemed to have aged since the ship found its way onto
the world of the Rifts. The ship’s new crew has given her the nickname
"The Iron Bitch" although there is some suggestion that it really the nickname
of the captain of the battleship. The crew is usually around three hundred
and sixty with about half a dozen techno-wizards and the same number of
other spell casters. The ship also usually embarks about two hundred troops
with half in mystic power armor. Otherwise, the ship does not carry any
embarked craft.

Notes:[1] These hit locations are not original systems on the ship. As such,
they do not share the regeneration of damage with the rest of the ship.
[2] Destroying Search Radar Tower will eliminate SPS-49 radar system.
Due to not being an original system, radar system will not regenerate damage
which it takes.
[3] If the Bridge / Tower is destroyed, the ship can still be piloted
from engineering but with a -15% to piloting rolls.
[4] Destroying the main body causes the ship to lose structural integrity,
causing the ship to sink. There are enough life preservers and inflatable
life boats to accommodate everyone on the ship.
Note: The ship will regenerate at 20% of the hit locations M.D.C.
per day, meaning all damage will be restored within 5 days of being damaged.
Only original systems / locations regenerate themselves.
[5] As per the spell “Armor of Ithan” - Magic, fire, lightning, and cold all inflict
one-half damage. Each activation lasts for 30 minutes.

Speed:Surface: 24.76 mph (21.5 knots/39.84 kph). The ship can operate
at three quarters speed on half boilers (9 boilers), two-thirds at one
third boilers (6 boilers), and one third at one sixth boilers (3 boilers)
Range: 875.2 miles (750 nautical miles / 1408.5 km) for each
full recharge (requires 100 P.P.E.) Three boilers are charged per casting
and each set can propel the ship for up 125 nautical miles (requires 25
P.P.E. each). The ship normally carries six months worth of supplies on
board.

Statistical Data:Length: 540.0 feet (164.6 meters) overall and 533.0 feet (162.5
meters) at waterline
Draft: 25.5 feet (7.8 meters)
Width: 83.0 feet (25.3 meters)
Displacement: 19,200 tons normal load and 23,243 fully loaded
Cargo: Can carry 500 tons (453.6 metric tons) of nonessential equipment
and supplies. Each enlisted crew member has a small locker for personal
items and uniforms. Ships officers have more space for personal items.
Most of the ship’s spaces are taken up by extra ammo, armor, troops, weapons,
and engines.
Power System: Was originally steam propulsion (18 boilers /
coal fired) but has been converted to a Magical power supply.
Black Market Cost: Not for Sale.

Weapon Systems:

Six (6) Elswick Pattern L Double Barrel Twelve Inch (305 mm)
Naval Guns: Two turrets are mounted on the ship forward of the ship’s
superstructure, two are mounted behind the ship’s superstructure, and the
is a single mount to either side. Two turrets can fire to the rear and
five turrets can fire to either side. The barrels have been modified so
that can be elevated up to 20 degrees (originally only thirteen degrees)
and the turrets can rotate 280 degrees. These cannons are less powerful
than those that were mounted on the later Iowa class battleship but are
still capable of destroying a target in a small number of shots. Likely,
any other Naval ship that gets within these guns will be destroyed in just
a few minutes. The cannons are also very effective in ground bombarding
roles. These cannons do have a limited rate of fire and are too large to
be effectively used against aircraft. No extended range rounds have been
developed for these mounts.
Maximum Effective Range: 14.2 miles (12.3 nautical miles / 22.9
km).
Mega-Damage:Standard Projectiles: 4D6x10 to a blast
radius of 40 ft (12.2 m) for High Explosive, 5D6x10+10 to a blast radius
of 10 ft (3 m) for High Explosive Armor Piercing, and 1D4x100 to a blast
radius of 40 ft (12.2 m) for Plasma. Magical Warheads: Treat as
spells of the same level cast at eighth level: Negate Mechanics, Annihilate,
Electromagnetism, Hurricane, Tornado, and Tidal wave. Others are possible
as well but are not common. Cannons can also use special purpose warheads,
double the statistics for 203 mm artillery warheads for damage and effects
Rate of Fire: Once every two melees or two shots per barrel
per minute (Can fire up to 4 shots per turret per minute or up to 25 shots
with all six turrets although all cannot be targeted against one target).
Payload: 960 Rounds (160 per turret), usually carries 200 High
Explosive, 320 High Explosive Armor Piercing, 320 Plasma, and 120 magical
warheads of various types (Only 8 Annihilates because they are very expensive),
The ship will carry special rounds when employed in artillery roles (Go to
Battlefield
Artillery for Rifts for more information

Twin Recoilless Anti-Aircraft Flack Cannon Turrets (4): The
cannons are mounted in twins mounts with two on either side of the vessel's
forward and after superstructure. Each cannon is identical to the TX-862FC
with the exception that the weapon's ammunition bins are larger and are
mounted in pairs. The cannon turrets can rotate 360 and the barrel can
tilt up to 90 degrees. It is normally used for Anti-Aircraft purposes but
also works as excellent but fairly short range artillery.
Maximum Effective Range: 10,000 feet (3048 meters).
Mega Damage: Single Round: 4D6 M.D.C., Two Rounds 1D6x10, and Six
Rounds 3D6x10. Double weapons damage if the gun is firing both cannons
simultaneously (1D6x10 for two rounds / 2D6 x 10 for four rounds/ and 6D6x10
for twelve rounds)
Rate of Fire:Equal to the gunners combined hand to hand (usually
5 or 6) each (Firing both barrels counts as one attack)
Payload: Total 1,200 for each barrel (2,400 total for mount).
That is 200 volleys of 6 rounds, or 600 two round volleys. (Ship has 19,200
rounds for reloads - 2 full reloads each mount)
Special Feature: The flack cannon has both and independent power
supply and its own laser targeting and radar tracking system (especially
useful if radar system is destroyed). Sensor has a range of 11,000 feet
(3353 meters). The system can also be set on automatic which gives it +1
to strike and three attacks per melee and will fire two round burst. Gives
+2 when fired.

TK Gatling Cannons (8): Fitted in the upper superstructure,
mounts have been enchanted by a series of spells so the cannons act as
a more powerful version of the TK Machine gun. This increases the weapons
damage and instead of being reloaded, the cannons must be recharged by
the spell Telekinesis and 100 P.P.E. once per month. The cannon does full
damage to targets that are impervious to energy. Additional optics and
fire control have been added to enable the system to track and target aircraft
and missiles.
Maximum Effective Range: 4,000 feet (1,220 meters).
Mega Damage: 12D6
Rate of Fire: Equal to the combined hand to hand attacks of
the gunner (usually 4 or 5).
Payload: Unlimited, although the spells (100 P.P.E. each cannon)
on each must be renewed every month whether the cannon have been used or
not.

Short Range Missile Launching Systems (2): One launcher is
fitted of the forward turrets and the other is fitted aft of the turrets.
Launcher has the ability to launch 24 Short Range Missiles and automatically
reloads every time a missile or missiles are fired. The launcher is fitted
with multiple fire control systems and can target missiles on multiple
targets. Normal missile mixture is 50% Armor Piercing Missiles and 50%
Plasma missiles. Usually the faster surface to air missiles are fired from
launcher.
Maximum Effective Range: As per short range missile type (See
revised bomb and missile tables for details.)
Mega Damage: As per short range missile type (See
revised bomb and missile tables for details.)
Rate of Fire: Can fire missiles one at a time or in volleys of two (2), four (4), six (6),
twelve (12), or twenty four (24) missiles.
Payload: 48 short range missiles each launcher for 96 short
range missiles total. (Ship carries 192 short range missiles as reloads)

Magical “Fireworks” Anti-Missile Chaff/Flare Dispenser (8): In many
ways this system is similar to technological versions of the Chaff/Flare
system. When the system fires, it looks like fireworks firing. The anti-missile
system works by combining three spells. The three spells are Fire Bolt,
Apparition, and Telekinesis. The physical effects of the system are similar
to the Triax Anti-Missile chaff but instead of being reloaded, it is recharged
by spells.
Effect:

Also note that the chaff cloud will also blind flying monsters that
fly through cloud. They will suffer the following penalties: reduce melee
attacks/actions, combat bonuses, and speed by half.
Duration: 1D4 melee rounds.
Payload: 10 Uses before being recharged. Each launcher is recharged
by the spells Apparition (20 P.P.E.), Fire Bolt (7 P.P.E.), and Telekinesis
(8 P.P.E.). The cost for all launchers to be recharged is 280 P.P.E. All
launchers must be activated at the same time to operate correctly.

Magical “Cloud of Fog” Generator: This system is built into the ship’s
smoke stacks and unlike most magical systems, does not require magical
from a spell caster and instead uses the steam from the ships engines to
produce the cloud of fog.
Range: 6,000 feet (1,830 meters) in all directions
Effect: Produces a fog bank that obscures vision. Visibility
is reduced to 60 feet inside the cloud and even with thermal sensors, a
penalty of -2 to strike parry and dodge
Payload: Effectively Unlimited

Techno-Wizard Modifications: The vessel has the following
Techno-Wizard Modifications built into the ship. These require P.P.E. or
I.S.P. from the ships crew or the ship itself. The P.P.E. and I.S.P. values
listed inside of the parenthesis are if using higher P.P.E. costs for larger
vehicles.
Special Features:

Special Systems:The ship can be considered to have all systems standard on a robot
vehicle (no life support though) plus the following special features:

Magical “See the Invisible” Optics: The ships has several special optical
systems with see the invisible on them. Same as spell and used at will.
2,000 feet (610 meters) range. Can see forces, objects, and creatures which
can turn invisible, or are invisible. Can also see vaporous beings and
astral bodies.

SPS-49 Radar: Long range air search Pre-Rifts radar system. Radar
system has a range of 512.1 miles (445 nautical miles / 824.1 km). Radar
system can track up to 128 targets simultaneously.

E.S.M.: The system can detect another radar system at around 125% of the range of the transmitting radar, subject to radar horizon. This includes all radar guided weapons.

Special Abilities / Quarks as a Haunted Vehicle:

Will of Its Own: The ship sometimes has a will of its own and carry
out up to six actions in a twenty-four hours. This can include refusing
to operate, change course, and activate the ship’s magical abilities. The
ship can also make minor actions such as activating sensors, turning lights
on, operating the ships speakers on its own without counting as an action.

Regenerates Damage: The ship will regenerate at 20% of the hit locations
M.D.C. per day, meaning all damage will be restored within 5 days of being
damaged. Does not regenerate the newer systems added to the vessel.

Modification Ability: The battleship WILL accept modern upgrades
and newer systems. These can include both magical and techno-wizard additions.
Unlike original components though, the systems will not regenerate along
with the rest of the ship if damaged.

Natural P.P.E.: 900, The ship virtually fairly hum with magical
energy. The energy regenerates at the rate of 90 P.P.E. per hour. Double
P.P.E. and regeneration on ley lines and triple P.P.E. and regeneration
at a Ley Line Nexus. Magical energy can be used by the ships crew for spell
casting.

Haunting Entities: Anyone attempting to do a Read Object, See Aura,
or telepathic communication will feel the impression of multiple voices/presences,
all attempting to communicate at once, and too numerous to make out individual
distinctions or traits. Only the most general impressions can be made out
in attempts to communicate with the vehicle's essence.

Illusions: Appearing to be related to the Haunting Entities, periodically
there will be illusions of various activities for the past of the vessel.
These can be from the mutinies but are not limited to this. Generally,
these illusions happen during times of relative peace not in the middle
of combat. As well, these happen more often after dark.